CHRIST INVITING SINNERS TO COME TO HIM. › Chapter 4, Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughs (1659) | AskReformation

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:302p. 21–22

In the second place, you must know, That all this burden of the soul for sin, it doth not interest the soul in Christ, nor give it rest in Christ. I may be thus burdened for sin, yet except I do believe indeed, that there be an act of faith beyond this, I shall not obtain rest. Then hence, we must not ground our faith upon being burdened for sin, to think, because we are burdened, therefore we shall be pardoned and saved; we must not lay the stress and weight of our faith, upon the feeling the weight of our sin, that which we must pitch our faith upon, is not our trouble, the trouble of our souls for our sins; but those troubles that the soul of Jesus Christ ⟨p. 22⟩suffered for sin. It is a note of great use, and I beseech you observe it; you must know this, That when your hearts are troubled for sin, you must not think that this is the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; nor you must not make this the object of your faith, as to think thus, because I am thus troubled, therefore I may believe that my sin is pardoned, no, I must not pitch my faith upon my own trouble, but upon the trouble of Jesus Christ; those troubles that the soul of Jesus Christ did endure by way of satisfaction.

In the second place, you must know, That all this burden of the soul for sin, it doth not interest the soul in Christ, nor give it rest in Christ. I may be thus burdened for sin, yet except I do beleeve indeed, that there be an act of faith beyond this, I shall not obtain rest. Then hence, we must not ground our faith upon being burdened for sin, to think, because we are burdened, therefore we shal be pardoned and saved; we must not lay the stress and weight of our faith, upon the feeling the weight of our sin, that which we must pitch our faith upon, is not our trouble, the trouble of our souls for our sins; but those troubles that the soul of Jesus Christ ⟨p. 22⟩suffered for sin. It is a note of great use, and I beseech you observe it; you must know this, That when your hearts are troubled for sin, you must not think that this is the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; nor you must not make this the object of your faith, as to think thus, because I am thus troubled, therefore I may beleeve that my sin is pardoned, no, I must not pitch my faith upon my own trouble, but upon the trouble of Jesus Christ; those troubles that the soul of Jesus Christ did endure by way of satisfaction.

:303p. 22

First: Then hence will follow, That it is not any degree of trouble for sin, how much soever one hath been troubled for sin, or how little soever that gives them interest, or not interest in Christ. I say, it is not the measure of it; for certainly if we could come to Christ without any burden or sense of our sin; if it were possible that we could come to Christ (I say) without any such being burdened for sin, we might; but because that Jesus Christ doth work upon the heart in a rational way, as a rational Creature, although he doth work above Reason, and conveys supernatural Grace that is beyond Reason; yet still he doth work upon the heart as a Rational Creature. Now therefore the work of Reason must be made subservient to the work of Gods Grace, usually, when the Lord works upon a soul, he makes use of the work of Reason, to make that subservient to the Work of his Grace. Now because no man can come to a Saviour, but he must know what need he hath of a Saviour; therefore if I come to Christ as a Saviour to save my soul from sin, I must apprehend what sin is, that I may be sensible of it.

First: Then hence will follow, That it is not any degree of trouble for sin, how much soever one hath been troubled for sin, or how little soever that gives them interest, or not interest in Christ. I say, it is not the measure of it; for certainly if we could come to Christ without any burden or sence of our sin; if it were possible that we could come to Christ (I say) without any such being burdened for sin, we might; but because that Jesus Christ doth work upon the heart in a rational way, as a rational Creature, although he doth work above Reason, and conveys supernatural Grace that is beyond Reason; yet still he doth work upon the heart as a Rational Creature. Now therefore the work of Reason must be made subservient to the work of Gods Grace, usually, when the Lord works upon a soul, he makes use of the work of Reason, to make that subservient to the Work of his Grace. Now because no man can come to a Savior, but he must know what need he hath of a Savior; therefore if I come to Christ as a Savior to save my soul from sin, I must apprehend what sin is, that I may be sensible of it.